Grappling-tongs



s. R. BURGSON. GRAPP'LING TON'GS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE I7, 1919.

1,356,551 5. Patented Oct. 26,1920.

awomtoz 123M228 'ficc gzgozz UNITED STATES I STUART R. iBURGSOIN, OFDRUMMOND, WISCONSIN.

GRAPPLING-TONGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 26, 19:20.

Application filed June 17, 1919. Serial No.'304,799.

' use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful imgrovements in grapples.

ne object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improveddevice of this character which is especially adapted for use in liftinglarge stones, stumps, and the like.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved device of thischaracter which will more firmly grip and hold the objectto be liftedthan with similar devices heretofore.

In a grapple of this kind the arms should be so pivoted and supportedthat when the device carries no load they are about balanced and theymay be swung open and closed by hand, and the primary feature of thepresent invention consists in the formation of parts with this idea inview and the provision of handles on the arms so that they may be movedmanually whether the structure contains a load or not.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a grappling tongs made in accordancewith my invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, thearms being in open position.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawing 10 represents a headblock of the grapple which is formed with the four pairs of radiallyextending apertured cars 11, and the central vertical opening 12.Disposed between each pair of ears 11, and mounted for swinging movementon the pin 13, is the grapple arm 14. The pivotal end of each of thearms 14 is formed with the pair of shoulders 15 which are arranged toengage with the block 10 to limit the upward and downward movement ofthe arm. In the intermediate portion of each of the arms 14 there isformed a transverse opening 16 and engaged in this opening is a clevis'17 to which is attached one end of a cable 18. These cables all lead toa central ring 19, and to this ring is connected the lifting cable20.

The arms 14 are longitudinally bowed so as to more easily and firmlygrip a large round object such as a large stone, stump, or the like.-Extending transversely through each of the arms near itslower end is astraight rod constituting a handle 21.

In the operation of the device the arms 14 are spread apart and thedevice let down over the object to be lifted. Then, upon pullingupwardly on the cable 20 the arms 14 will be drawn toward each other andinto embracing engagement with the object. The upward strain of thelifting cable 20 insures the firm gripping of the arms 14 with theobject, as will be readily understood. When the arms are moved into theopen position the upper shoulders prevent said arms from opening toofar, while when the arms are not in engagement with an object the lowershoulders prevent said arms from swinging down too far and becomingentangled.

It should be noted that the structure is supported solely by the cable20 which is connected with the ring 19, while the latter in turn isconnected by the radial cables 18 with the arms 14 at about theirmidlength. This leaves the weight of the head block 10 and the pivotsand the upper ends of the arms with a constant tendency to move downwardunder the law of gravity; but as such movement would rock the arms ontheir clevises 17 and tend to spread them, because their inner ends cannot spread, the tendency is resisted by the short cables 18. When thesereach nearly a horizontal line as seen in Fig. 3, the device is openedas wide as possible. Now when it is dropped over a large andsubstantially globular object such as a rock or stump, the operatorgrasps the handles 21 and moves the lower or gripping ends of the jawsin under such object before he applies tension to the main cable 20. Theobject itself will have raised the cables 18 and the ring, but manualadaptation of the several jaws to the object is practicallyindispensable in order to fit the structure thereto, before it can besuccessfully lifted. Upward pull on the main cable 20 now moves theparts as seen in Fig. 1, and the object can be lifted and swung aside.

The handles are now useful for swinging the object, turning it if it isto be dropped or PATENT OFFICE.

placed in a selected position, and otherwise affording means for theoperator to grasp the load without putting his hands on the objectitself or on the arms which may be icy or muddy or -may by pressurebecome embedded in the object, as if the latter be a stump with theearth taken up by it.

Finally when the stump is deposited in a wagon or at a distant point onthe ground, the handles are extremely useful because they permit theoperator to draw the jaw ends of the arms 1a out from under the stump soas to release the grapple therefrom, after which tension on the mainrope will lift it off of the object as it would not do unless said jaWends were held away from it at this time. The specific use of straightpins fixed transversely through the arms is preferred, because the endsof the'pins'are not moved into contact with a substantially a a headblock, a plurality of arms pivoted at.

their upper ends to said block and with their bodies curved inward attheir lower ends into gripping jaws, pins fixed transversely through therespective arms near their jaw ends, short cables leading from themidlength of the arms inward to a common point, and a main cable leadingfrom said point upward through the head block.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signa ture, in the presence of twowitnesses.

STUART R. BURGSON. Witnesses G. L. MoIN'rosH, E. S. RADCLIIFE.

